Judge Halts Former U.S. Trust Team From Using Client Info

Reuters is reporting that four former U.S. Trust employees have been enjoined by a New York state court from using client records they brought to their new employer, Dynasty Financial Partners.

Michael Brown, a U.S. Trust adviser whose clients hold $5.9 billion in assets under management, and three others joined Dynasty this week to help build a firm that will provide technology and other support to high-end investment advisers.

Brown and his team in their resignation letter contended "the protocol" allowed them to take client information, according to Bank of America's complaint. The “Protocol for Broker Recruiting” is a voluntary pact that many financial services firms have signed that provides the ground-rules for departing financial advisors.

Unfortunately for the defendants in this case, U.S. Trust is not a signatory to the protocol.

We'll keep an eye on this one for you.